The Destiny of an Imaginary Friend
by Fomalhaut
Summary: Decided to stop it right here at the 4th chapter, since no one reads it any more. SEQUEL UP.
1. The adoption

Disclaimer: I don't own any Foster characters. Only Shaula, Sheila and the people related to them belong to me.

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This is my first Foster story. Please be gentle. Constructive criticism is accepted!

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_This story is told in first person and from different points of view._

**The strange girl:**

I looked up at the house, then down at the paper with its drawing on it. Yes, it looked exactly the same… or well, similar. I knew _she_ wasn't too good at drawing, especially when she was angry. Like that day.  
„_Here, it has to look like this! Go and have a look around. I don't even mind if you stay there! Though I think even those imaginary jerks will hate you!" she kept on shouting._  
„_Why?" I asked._  
„_Get lost! Or go and see those Fosters! Or well… GET LOST WHILE SEARCHING FOR THEM!"_

Well, it seemed like I made it after all. _She_ will see. I'll prove her wrong.

„_But why?" I asked „why do you hate me now? Don't you remember?"_  
„_Stop being this nostalgic! A nerd like you hanging around is making me mad! Go away before I get REALLY angry!"_

Since then I kept on wondering what did _she_ mean by „really angry" – for when she said that, she already looked as if she was going to explode.

But well, I should be grateful, really. **All I wanted was a normal life.**_And now, there was the chance, standing right in front of me._  
Of course I had to hide a couple of things, but it was worth the time. The normal life.

I looked normal. Yeah. **A girl with a cute light blue dress with a heart painted on the chest, a baseball cap, a pair of red trainers, and dark brown hair in two small ponytails.** Can you imagine anything more ordinary?

Finally, I took all my courage and knocked on the door. Soon, a red-haired young woman opened. She was only a few inches taller than me.  
**_Never forget to smile! Act as if your smile was painted on your face with irremovable ink!_** I reminded myself.  
- Hello – she said – I'm Frankie Foster. May I help you?  
- Thanks – I smiled - my name is Shaula and I'm looking for an imaginary friend.  
Frankie called for them. Soon, hundreds of imaginary friends stood there – all staring at me. I felt as if I was forced to choose immediately.  
- Huh… may I spend some time here before I come to a decision…?

**Frankie:**

That girl's been here for hours and still couldn't decide. Weird. By the way, looking at her I think she's a bit old for an imaginary friend. She looks 13 or 14 at least. _Wait… where is she now?_  
I looked out of the window and saw her.

**Eduardo:**

I was walking to the recently built basketball court to wait for Mac to arrive, when I saw… a… a… a STRANGER there! She waved at me and said „Hi!"

**Coco:**

Coco coco coco co coco, coco coco co-co-coco-co. Coco coco coco co! Co coco.

**Wilt:**

I was walking towards that super cool basketball court they've recently built next to the house, when Eduardo ran past me screaming and completely horrified.  
- Ed! I'm sorry, what happened?  
He just continued screaming and disappeared inside the house. I looked after him for a while, then decided to go to the basketball court anyway. There, I saw the reason why Ed was so horrified. An unknown young girl was just opening one of Coco's eggs.

**The strange girl:**

Those plastic eggs were quite funny. I actually started liking Coco. By then, I have found inside them: a football; a rugby ball; a tennis ball; a tennis racket; a table-tennis racket; a table-tennis ball; a baseball bat…  
- You see, Coco - I said as I lifted it up – this is really cool, but I think that on a basketball court…  
A melodious male voice made me look up. Up… really high.

**Wilt:**

I handed her the basketball ball.  
- Thanks! – she said, then tried to throw it.  
I thought it was impolite to interrupt her.

**Coco:**

Coco co coco! Coco co coco-co.

**The strange girl:**

I just began thinking _she_ was right and everyone was hating me (you see, I felt like a total loser, after half an hour of failures… I didn't manage to do one single hoop…), when suddenly…  
- I'm flying! – I laughed.  
- Try it now! – I heard his voice. He was so cool!

**Wilt:**

I felt weird as I lifted her up. She wasn't heavy at all… She almost seemed to have no weight…

**Frankie:**

The girl suddenly ran to me with shining eyes, claiming she had made her decision. When I saw who she had chosen, well, it made me a little sad. But that's the fate of imaginary friends.

**Mac:**

That day I arrived a bit late to Foster's, at school the new teacher decided to make the lessons longer. I'd have to warn Bloo about that: if I'm not there at 3:00 sharp, it doesn't mean I forgot about him!  
He looked sad. Eduardo was silently sheding tears beside him. And Coco was unusually silent.  
- What's up with you, guys? – I asked, then I noticed someone missing – hey! Where's Wilt?  
Eduardo burst into tears. Coco said „Coco" extremely sadly. Bloo just stared at me, the angles of his mouth leaning down.

**The strange girl:**

_Hooray! I finally felt NORMAL!_

I had an imaginary friend. As we walked towards home, a cold breeze started blowing. I shivered. He placed his only one hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. I looked at him gratefully and smiled back at him. Wilt. Wilt. Wilt. **MY imaginary friend.**

Now there was only one obstacle left. I knew _she_'d be at home when we arrive…


	2. The secret

_Okay, thanks for the reviews, here's the new chapter! About dialogues: when there's a name in _**bold**_, it indicates the point of view. The dialogue is signed like: - blablabla - said Mac (for example).  
Enjoy! Argh I'm giving you another cliffhanger! (I'm so evil! ;-D)_

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**Wilt:**

After a while we arrived in front of a small yellow house. Shaula opened the door very carefully, as if she was afraid of something…

**Shaula:**

Of course she was there. Sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. From behind, I could only see her black baseball cap.  
- Hi, Sheila! – I said.

**Sheila:**

What the hell did that dork of Shaula want! I told her to get lost! I stood up and turned to her – to see she was in company. Some extremely tall, red and scarred imaginary jerk with a missing arm and a wonky eye was standing beside her.  
- Who's that nerd? Your new boyfriend, Shaula?

**Wilt:**

At first she scared me a bit. Sorry, I mean, she looked exactly like Shaula – just that she was wearing dark clothes, her dark brown hair was tied in a single ponytail, and she wasn't smiling always. No… she looked rather angry.  
- No, sorry… I'm not her boyfriend! – I tried to force out a little laugh – I'm her new imaginary friend – I put my arm around Shaula's shoulders – she just adopted me at Foster's. But now I see we're gonna be in three here… three good friends, I suppose.

**Sheila:**

I couldn't believe my ears. I just stood there and stared at Shaula and that dorky boyfriend or whoever of hers. Did that long-legged thing just say that Shaula _adopted him as an imaginary friend_?  
I wondered for a couple of second about it, then burst out laughing.  
- Shaula… you're a poor stupid fool! A dork! A nerd! You think that adopting a boyfriend will change the way things are going between me and you? Wait, I guess I know… you were too stupid to think up one, didn't you?

**Shaula:**

I was getting a bit tired of Sheila repeating always that Wilt is my boyfriend. No way! He's MY imaginary friend – why can't I have one?

**Wilt:**

I thought Shaula and Sheila were twin sisters. But after a while, well, I got tired of them fighting always, and interrupted them.  
- Sorry, but what's the matter? Shaula is a normal girl, and she adopted me to be her imaginary friend. I won't disturb you if you don't like me!  
Sheila's eyes widened.

**Sheila:**

Shaula – a normal girl? Did that red thingy _say that really_?  
- Ha! You think she's normal, huh? Well, you'll see!  
Before he could stop me, I grabbed Shaula and took off her baseball cap before she could fight.

**Shaula:**

I could see Wilt freeze in place as Sheila took off my cap. I was just about to whisper something when she continued.  
- Ooh, what else did you hide? – she laughed evilly and suddenly ripped a huge hole on the back of my dress.  
I heard that familiar frush. I knew what Wilt had seen. He made a couple of steps back.  
- Wilt… I'm sorry – I sighed.  
Then everything went black…

**Sheila:**

_Pathetic._  
- Take her away or whatever! – I sat back in front of the TV.

**Wilt:**

I gently picked Shaula up. I didn't know what to think, but I was sure that I had to take her far from Sheila.

I finally understood. I knew why she seemed to have no weight, why was she so confused all along…


	3. Broken wings

**Okay - third person! It's easier now, isn't it?

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Sheila sat back in front of the TV. _Pathetic dorks!_  
By the way, the last thing she needed was Shaula around. It was the end of the holidays, there was only one week left to the first day at her new school, they have moved in town recently.

Wilt sat on a bench in the park, trying to wake up Shaula. He still couldn't believe his eyes. On her head, there were _two cute feelers, looking like thin black lines, and they both ended in a small yellow pompon_. But the most impressive things _were the two large, shiny butterfly-like wings on her back_.

She moaned something and slowly opened her eyes. The net moment she backed away as if she'd seen a ghost.  
- WILT! What…? How come…? Oh…? Where's Sheila…? Oh, no! – she touched her feelers, then her wings – goodbye! You… you'd hate me now…!

- Stay – Wilt placed his hand on her shoulder – please, I'm sorry, just tell me. Who are you?  
Shaula looked at the ground, then wiped away a tear.  
- **I am Shaula the Joyful Fairy (t. J. F.), thought up by Sheila when she was 5. **I was supposed to look like her, to grow older with her… and so I did. Until suddenly the kids started bullying her, and she decided to become „the coolest girl around". She trained her fighting skills on me. And before, she never ever took me to meetings with her friends. Never ever shared the happy moments with me. I was supposed to cheer her up, and she used to take out all her sorrow and anger on me. In the end, she said I can go wherever I want, she never wants to see me again and so on. Then she showed me an article about Foster's. Then I decided to show her I am normal, I'm not an imbecile jerk… well, I don't know what I was thinking. Honestly.  
- I am still your friend, Shaula.  
- Thank you, Wilt – as they hugged, the heart on Shaula's chest started glowing.

Coco was just bringing in more buckets for Eduardo's tears, and Mac comforting Bloo when the doorbell rang.  
- Aaargh! – Bloo jumped on Mac's head – who's gonna be adopted now! Who's next!  
As Frankie opened the door, they all remained speechless.  
- A-ha! – said Bloo after a while – so you're returning Wilt! What's that, you're not stisfied with him? You know what I call the ones who abandon their imaginary friends so carelessly? A…  
- Bloo! – said Wilt, pulling Shaula apart – can't you see she's one of us?

- I don't know if I can ever call this place my home – said Shaula, standing in the doorway of the room – where am I gonna sleep…?- Ah-ah, this bed's taken! – Bloo jumped in his bed – and under the bed too! And that other bed as well! And the nest is Coco's property, so… - and he stuck his tongue out at her.  
- Bloo! – Wilt raised his finger – I'm sorry, but I don't think this method is okay.  
Bloo stuck his tongue out even more, then turned around on the bed and pulled the cover up.  
That exact moment Frankie entered, followed by two stronger friends.  
- Yes… slowly… here! – then she pointed at the brand new bed – this was the only room where there was still some space left, sorry! Shaula, hope you like your new bed!  
It even had her name on it.  
- Thank you – her eyes filled with tears.  
Bloo already couldn't stand her. Coco layed dozens of eggs for her. Eduardo was still a little scared of her. And Wilt… well, he _liked_ her.

_**Nightmares… no!**_

_- Sheila!  
- Shaula!  
Happy little girls. A cute 5-year-old and her best imaginary friend, a sweet little fairy, which looked excatly like her.  
- I've always wanted to be a fairy… now you are my fairy!  
- Three wishes! – Shaula giggled.  
- I have them! – Sheila hugged her tightly – stay with me, be my best friend forver, love me as much as I love you, Shaula, Shaula, Shaula!  
- I will, Sheila! Promise me the same!  
- I promise!  
- Sheila and Shaula, best friends forever!  
The heart on the fairy's chest was glowing brightly and intensely._

_- Can I go with you at Emily's birthday party?  
- Sorry, but no. Imaginary friends are not invited._

_- Are you going to the luna park with Cathy? Can I go?  
- No, sorry. That's not a place for imaginary friends._

_- Did Jenny invite you to the zoo? I'd like to go as well.  
- NO! IMAGINARY FRIENDS CAN'T COME! – shouted then 8-year-old Sheila – Shaula, you always want to come with me when I have meetings with my friends. When will you understand that little girls' programmes are NOT FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS?_

_- Oh Shaula, Holly said I'm stupid and ugly!  
- Come on, I'm here to comfort you, Sheila!_

_- Yay, I'm so happy! – Sheila danced in her room smiling.  
- Can I ask you why? – asked Sheila – share your happiness with me!  
- Northing of your business, FAIRY!_

_Days turned into weeks… weeks turned into months… and months turned into years. And it was always the same story._

_Until things went even worse._

_- Sheila, what happened? – Shaula flew to her. She had a black eye.  
- It's all your fought!  
- What…? Why…? I…  
- You! I drew a picture of you, they asked me about it, I said it was my imaginary friend, they called me a stupid nerd for playing with fairies…_

_- I'll teach those bullies a lesson! – Sheila hit her cushion, her ball, and, in a quick rage, ripped her teddy bear in half.  
- Sheila! – Shaula flew to her – oh, no! I'll repair it, sorry…  
**BANG!**  
- Sheila, NO!_

_- Sheila… please… - Shaula was shaking like a leaf, tied to a wall – stop it…  
- Shut up! – she pointed at the wound on her arm – look! They're still stronger then me! I'm the dork at school, I'm the bullies' main target! And I won't tolerate it any more!  
She used her wings as a shield…_

_- Let me out!  
- Silence!  
Shaula cried desperately in the narrow place of the wardrobe, locked inside hermetically.  
- But Sheila, I'm hungry!  
- Take this! – Sheila slipped inside an old, dried cookie.  
Shaula nibbled at it swallowing her tears. Her feelers were hanging sadly, her wings were fading bright colours. It's been a long time since the heart on her chest glew._

_Strapped to the wall once again… her tears flowing down her cheeks…  
- I like this… especially that you're so keen on helping me… to aid me in my training… - Sheila took out a baseball bat.  
**CRACK!**  
- MY WINGS! NO!_

_It's been a weak since she last hit her. She sat in the corner, her legs pulled up, unable to fly any more with her broken wings. Her eyes were cried out.  
14-year-old Sheila cracked her knuckles and smirked.  
- This is my last day at this stupid school… then we're moving…_

_- Sheila, I can't believe this! – Shaula, once again locked in the wardrobe, heard her ex-friend's mother's voice – you were FIGHTING in the school's garden!  
- I won, Mom, I won!  
Terrifiying shouting… screaming… noises…  
- Shaula… come out… - Sheila held up the baseball bat - thank you for everything… I have beaten the bullies up thanks to you... let's play a bit more!_

_- Damn, the holidays are almost over! – Sheila cracked her knuckles as she lay on the bed – nah, hope I'll find someone to beat up to keep me from getting bored.  
Shaula sat in the corner silently.  
- Ah, fairy! – Sheila said – you can go now.  
- Where?  
- Your business! You'll just make a bad impression on the others… a cool girl like me does not play with fairies!_

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**Take a peek at my profile... pictures are better than descriptions, aren't they?**  
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	4. Sitting in a tree

**Sorry in the case if I made you wait... here's some more. I was working on the sequel. And for now, it isn't a Wilt x Shaula story. In the genre, I haven't indicated "Romance":-)

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**_And please, but really really REALLY, I'd like to get some reviews! There are only 2 chapters left, this is kinda an introduction to the much bigger sequel story! Please, really, I accept ANYTHING!_**

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Shaula woke up suddenly. Why she was having nightmares now that she was in safety? She never used to had them before. Maybe… maybe just because she didn't have time to dream.  
_Sheila could break her wings. She could tie her to a wall with such tight knots that her wrists began to bleed. She could hit her. She could do anything to her… _**but she would never break her soul.**

Wilt looked out from under Bloo's bed. Shaula was sitting, staring out of the window at the shining full moon.

Next day 

- Where have you been all this time? – asked Wilt after Shaula walked back to their room about 20 minutes after everyone got there.  
- Cleaning up the milk on the table in the dining room.  
- Did you spill it?  
- No – she rolled her eyes – I spat it on the table after _that rabbit_ gave me a pat on the shoulder for not sitting straight, and for drinking from my bowl of cereal. Oh, and I spent about 5 minutes listening to him preaching. I think I'm going back to Sheila!  
- You can't be serious!  
- But I am. I don't feel at home. I mean, this place is great and everything, and you all are so nice… (apart from Mr. Strict Rabbit and that little blue whatever) it's just that… I don't know.  
Wilt looked at her wings, which looked hurt and a bit arched.  
- Yeah, they're broken – Shaula noticed what he was looking at.  
- Stay – he said.  
She shrugged without looking in his eyes.

Sheila's home

Sheila still had a couple of days before going to school and passing breaks with beating up dorks. The younger ones had school already. So she had free time… looking for something to do (now that Shaula wasn't any more a good target), she opened the drawers. Deep inside one of them she found a framed picture of 10-year-old Sheila and her best friend, Shaula t. J. F. The glass covering was broken… she had done it months ago. She grinned, took the photo out and stepped on it, then threw it in the trash can.

Later that day

Bloo, walking through corridors, stopped suddenly in front of the „Friend of the Month" wall. Once again Wilt's picture was there in a frame – with Shaula standing beside him. He had saved another imaginary friend from an uncaring and mean owner.

In the garden

Shaula was trying to climb one of the new apple trees beside the basketball court, for she saw huge, red and mature fruits on the branches. Time ago she would have used her wings to fly high… but now they were of no use any more.

She finally succeeded, sat down on a branch and began to pick the most mature fruits and put them in the small basket she had brought.

- What are you doing? – asked Wilt from under, while playing basketball and making one hoop after another.  
- Collecting apples! – she answered – I think I'm gonna make a HUGE applecake for everyone! Hope that will help some friends to get used to me… I feel alone.  
Suddenly a gigantic bright red apple landed in her basket.  
- What the…?  
- It was on an outer branch – winked Wilt – I thought it can't miss from the applecake! Oh, and Shaula… I'm your friend. You adopted me, and I went with you because… I liked you.  
The heart on her chest glew slightly in a pale pink colour.

- Wilt!  
- Yes?  
- Can you come here?  
- Up that tree?  
- Yes! I'm afraid to climb higher, and I can't reach some apples up there!

10 minutes later

- Where's Wilt? – asked Bloo.  
- Cococo!  
- Fine. I'll go and look for him there, then.  
So Bloo and Coco walked to the basketball court.  
- Ed! Where's Wilt?  
Eduardo opened his arms, he hadn't seen him.  
- Right up here! – they heard his voice from the tree – Shaula will make an applecake for you all, I'm just helping her reach apples at higher branches!  
Bloo growled something. Coco flickered her eyelids. Eduardo just stared.

A bit later, in the tree

- So, years ago, Sheila and I used to cook together and for each other, play board games… well, I couldn't go with her when she was with her friends, but it was nice being there… - Shaula sighed as she took an apple from Wilt and placed it in the basket – then the bullies started tormenting her, she became the school dork and their main target… and she decided to change, to become cool and a good fighter. And, of course, cool girls don't play with fairies.  
Silence.  
- Was I boring? I just wanted to explain how come I can make apple cakes.  
Wilt smiled as he reached out for another apple.  
- I had a nice past with my friend as well – he said as he took the fruit off the branch and handed it to Shaula – until they had to leave the country, and, since he was 13, he left me. He didn't know about Foster's home… so I had to find my way here.  
Shaula could swear she had seen something like a spark of sadness in Wilt's eyes. She looked at his stubby arm and wonky and probably blind eye, but didn't dare to ask.  
Silence.  
Then Shaula palced a hand on Wilt's shoulder. He smiled and took her hand.  
- Coco coco cocococo cococo coco coco cococo co! – was heard then from under the tree.

Wilt quickly let Shaula's hand go and jumped off the tree.  
- I'm sorry Coco, but apart from the fact that I don't like that nickname, what do you mean by _Shaula and Wilty sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G.?

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**Hope I'll get some reviews. - Sofia or Fomi x**_  
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	5. Last message from Author

So, I'm sorry (taken from WILT ;-D).

Anyway, in the 2 remaining chapters there wouldn't have been too much action. The story is continued in the sequel, Evil Genius, which I think came out waaay better than this. The 2 stories are not too connected anyway. I hope you'll give it a try - that is, in fact, the reason I decided to write this... like a prequel.

Goodbye,

Sofia (Shaula ;-D)


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